Could snow ring in 2017 in Western Washington lowlands?

There is a chance Seattle could greet 2017 with a little snow New Year’s Day.

Some forecasts are calling for snowfall, or at the least a mix of rain and snow in the Seattle region on Jan. 1.
It’s too early to predict specifics, of course. But it seems that temps around the Western Washington lowlands should be dropping into the snow zone with plenty of moisture in the air. The Seattle region could see rain in the early hours of the new year, but snowflakes could be falling by evening.

Check the Northwest weather forecast

It needs to be around 32 degrees for snow to form. Current predictions for the evening of Jan. 1 indicate that temperatures could be as low as 31 degrees that night — some even colder.

Weather records and snow

According to the National Weather Service, New Year snowfall has not been common around Puget Sound over the past few years. The most Jan. 1 snowfall was in 1950 with 6.8 inches. The most rain was 1.37 inches in 1964.

Of course, temperatures need to drop for any snow to fall. The highest temperature recorded for the region was in 2006 with 58 degrees. The coldest Jan. 1 recorded was in 1952 with 10 degrees.

Over the past 10 years, precipitation has not been the norm on Jan. 1. It has rained on three days out of the past 10 New Year’s Days. A couple years had trace rain, but nothing measurable.

The National Weather Service reports:

Year    High    Low     Precip

2016    46      28      0.00
2015    42      26      0.00
2014    45      38      Trace
2013    41      27      0.00
2012    55      41      Trace 
2011    40      26      0.00
2010    52      45      0.40
2009    46      36      0.71
2008    47      41      0.00
2007    48      34      0.41

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